Among the indigo-dyed and botanical-dyed samue available at WASUIAN, the 2011 Enshu Indigo-dyed Samue is especially popular. Its natural, deep indigo color is so renowned that it is often referred to as 'Japan Blue' around the world. In this blog, we’ll share what happens when you wash this beautiful indigo-dyed garment.
First, let us briefly introduce our Enshu Indigo-dyed Samue.
This indigo-dyed samue is made from fabric dyed in Enshu (present-day western Shizuoka Prefecture), a region renowned for its high-quality cotton textiles since ancient times. Using the traditional saki-zome technique—where threads are dyed before weaving—the fabric achieves a natural, deep indigo color. With a moderate thickness, this samue is durable and comfortable, making it a long-lasting and delightful choice.
The colors of natural dye products gradually fade with each wash, so hand washing is recommended. While this requires some care and effort, the slowly evolving texture over time reflects the essence of slow fashion, making each piece a uniquely cherished garment—a true example of Japanese craftsmanship.
Let the Washing Begin
～ Check the Care Label Before You Wash ～
Before washing, be sure to check the care label attached to the garment. This globally recognized label provides essential care instructions to help you enjoy your samue for years to come. Both the jacket and pants of our samue—as well as other products—have this label sewn in, so please read it carefully before washing.
left: The care label / right: The reverse side of the care label
The care label includes a size indication marked “L,” a note indicating “indigo dyeing,” and a fabric quality label stating “100% cotton,” followed by six internationally recognized care symbols. Let’s go through these symbols clockwise, starting from the top left. The following washing instructions must be followed:
- Hand wash in water no hotter than 40°C
- Do not use chlorine-based or oxygen-based bleach
- Do not tumble dry
- Do not dry clean
- Iron at a maximum sole plate temperature of 150°C
- Air dry in the shade
The reverse side of the care label also includes important precautions to ensure the longevity of your indigo-dyed cotton samue.
- Be careful of color transfer due to friction while wearing
- Wash separately, as color may transfer to other garments during washing
- Do not use detergent containing bleach.
- Use a pressing cloth when ironing to protect the fabric
Items to Prepare Before Hand Washing
After carefully reviewing the care label and noting the important handling instructions, it’s time to begin. If you’re wondering how to wash indigo-dyed samue at home, here’s a step-by-step look at what you’ll need. Below are the tools we have prepared:
- Washing tub
(Used to wash the samue separately and prevent color transfer to other clothing in the washing machine) - Neutral detergent
(Gentle on natural fabrics like cotton, helping to preserve the shape and color of your indigo-dyed samue) - Rubber gloves
(Worn to protect your hands from being stained by natural indigo dye during the washing process)
Let's start washing. We will explain each step with photos.
【① Press Wash】
Fill a washing tub with lukewarm water (around 30–40°C) using water from the sink, and add an appropriate amount of neutral detergent. This gentle solution helps protect the fabric and preserve the deep color of your indigo-dyed samue.
Press-wash both the jacket and pants approximately 20 times each. Press-washing is exactly what it sounds like—gently pressing the fabric down with your hands and then releasing it (or lightly lifting it in some cases). Repeat this process to help loosen dirt while being gentle on the fabric and preserving the natural indigo dye.
Although we prepared rubber gloves, we decided to wash with our bare hands this time. As we washed, the clear lukewarm water gradually took on the beautiful indigo color.
After washing, we removed the samue from the tub. The water had turned a deep blue.
We also poured the water into a transparent cup. It’s a pretty nice color.
【② Rinsing and Wringing Out】
Next, we moved on to rinsing. Similar to washing, we rinsed by gently pressing the samue with lukewarm water, then squeezed it by hand to drain. During this process, the water in the bucket turned blue, and noticeable color transfer appeared in the rinse water.
And the hands of the WASUIAN staff took on this beautiful indigo hue.
His fingers and nails were slightly stained blue, but they came off after washing thoroughly with soap.
【③ Shade Drying】
Once the indigo-dyed samue is thoroughly wrung out, gently stretch and smooth out any wrinkles by hand to help it retain its natural shape.
Hang it to dry in a well-ventilated, shaded area.
“Shade drying” refers to drying laundry in a place protected from direct sunlight, whether indoors or outdoors.
The pole drying method, as shown in the photo, is also ideal—it helps clothes retain their shape and naturally smooths out wrinkles.
"Sun drying" refers to drying clothes directly under the sun. While it can help suppress bacterial growth, it may also cause fading or discoloration due to UV rays, so please be cautious.
【Post-Washing Reference Information】
This completes the first wash. Since we also wanted to see how much color transfer occurs when washing with white clothing, we washed the indigo-dyed fabric together with a piece of white 100% cotton fabric. This white fabric is the same material used to make our Nanako-ori Samue.
The top two pieces show the fabric before washing, and the bottom two show the fabric after washing. While the Indigo-dyed Samue fabric shows little to no visible change, the white cotton fabric used in our Nanako-ori Samue has picked up a slight blue tint—indicating minor color transfer during washing.
In Summary, this blog introduced what happens when you wash indigo-dyed samue. Because this type of traditional clothing changes in appearance over time, we’ll continue our washing experiments and share more in Vol. 2, including how the color evolves compared to new fabric and how much shrinkage occurs.
We hope you found this information helpful.
Please enjoy experiencing the beauty of natural dye firsthand.
The sequel is here.
